Deductive versus Inductive Reasoning Page 1 of 2

Deductive versus Inductive Reasoning

Objectives:

Use a Venn diagram to

determine the validity of an

argument.

Complete a pattern with the

most likely possible next item.

Explain and general rule or

pattern given a word and

letter pairing.

Suggested Problems:

page 9:

problems 3, 5, 9, 10, 11, 13, 17, 21,

25, 27, 29, 30, 31, 33, 35, 39, 41,

42, 44

Vocabulary:

deductive reasoning

syllogism

inductive reasoning

Venn diagram

valid/invalid argument

Possible Classroom Examples:

Draw a Venn diagram to represent each syllogism.

1. No one who can afford health insurance is unemployed.

2. All politicians can afford health insurance.

Therefore, no politician is unemployed.

1. All homeless people are unemployed.

2. Roseanne is not a homeless person.

Therefore, Roseanne is not unemployed.

Draw a Venn diagram to determine the validity of the argument.

1. All doctors are men.

2. My mother is a doctor.

Therefore, my mother is a man.

Deductive versus Inductive Reasoning Page 2 of 2

Classify each argument as deductive or inductive.

1. I ate a chili dog at Joe’s and got indigestion.

2. I ate a chili dog at Ruby’s and got indigestion.

Therefore, chili dogs give me indigestion.

1. All spicy foods give me indigestion.

2. Chili dogs are spicy food.

Therefore, chili dogs give me indigestion.

What is the most likely next number or letter.

1, 2, 4, 7, ___

4, 7, 10, 4, ___

31, 28, 31, 30, ___

O, T, T, F, ___

T, F, S, S, ___

Determine the rule for assigning the letter to each word.

addition difference product divisor fraction

n e t r

exponent difference product quotient factor

f j p v